Nonzero-mean light off-axis phase imaging based on light intensity correlation.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Quantum Imaging

Background:

• Ghost imaging (GI) traditionally relies on second-order intensity correlation for image formation.
• Phase retrieval in GI typically necessitates additional equipment like interferometers or phase-shifting techniques.
• Existing methods limit GI primarily to intensity imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel phase retrieval technique for GI.
• To reconstruct object phase information solely using second-order intensity correlation.
• To eliminate the need for supplementary optical components in GI phase imaging.

Main Methods:

• Utilized non-zero mean light instead of zero-mean thermal light in GI.
• Employed a point detector to capture the object's higher-order Fourier spectrum.
• Leveraged second-order intensity correlation to generate an off-axis hologram for phase reconstruction.

Main Results:

• Successfully reconstructed object phase information without supplementary methods.
• Demonstrated that second-order intensity correlation alone is sufficient for phase imaging.
• Generated an off-axis hologram through the modified GI technique.

Conclusions:

• The proposed technique enables direct phase imaging using GI.
• Eliminates the requirement for external interferometers or phase-shifting setups.
• Paves the way for simplified and advanced applications of ghost imaging in phase retrieval.